We are sure you’ve seen them lurking in your news feeds- breaking news reporting a celebrity’s death, photos of natural disasters striking major cities, video footage of riots and outrage over an accidental shooting- all seemingly legitimate news stories. However, this “news” may not be what it seems.
In 2016, Facebook has reported that it has 1.71 billion monthly active Facebook users. Twitter has 313 million monthly active users. With so many active users, popular social sites are a scammer's paradise. Scammers will try to entice you into clicking by posting sensational or emotional bre...

In today’s fast-paced world, you can be sure that most universities have gone digital. As a result, more students are saving their important papers on their computers and external hard drives. However, from what I’ve seen, that’s about as far as most students go to safeguard their work. With so many hours (and lost sleep) going into these papers, it is essential to make sure you have it backed up in the cloud, because there would be nothing worse than losing all of your hard work due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
If you only save your work on a hard drive, once your compute...

Just because an app is in the Google Play Store doesn’t mean that it is a legitimate app. Google is constantly removing fraudulent apps from the Android marketplace, such as fake antivirus, browsers, and games.
Besides Google Play, and other app markets, there are many other ways that fake apps can get onto your Android device. Scammers will try any means necessary to trick you into installing a fake app. Criminals use emails and SMS messages that appear to be from your bank, credit card company or other brands to trick people into downloading applications that will compromise their data....

Children today can access more information than any generation before. Because of the Internet they now have a wealth of information that can enrich their lives in new and wondrous ways. But the Internet also has the potential to harm us, and the people we love. Too often we read about another company falling victim to a cyber attack, or a friend’s email or social network account being hacked. These dangers are real.
And though there are real reasons to protect your kids and your data from cyber thieves, you shouldn’t need to shy away from the advantages the Internet has to offer your f...

Today marks the 15th annual System Administrator Appreciation Day, and Norton wishes all those who keep our world of information up and running a big thank you and much deserved rock star recognition. To celebrate the day here are a few of the top reasons to say thanks.
Thank your SysAdmin on System Adminstrator Appreciation Day!
When your server goes down at midnight on a Saturday, a sysadmin IT pro has everything up and running by 9a.m. on Monday.
That lovely interwebz connection you are accessing to view this very blog from your office network – all thanks to a sysadmin’s handiw...

Small Businesses (SBs) often experience a greater risk from hackers, malware and other security threats.
You’ve read the headlines: “Data breach”, “Small vendor used in big attack!” Small Businesses are under increasing attacks from cyber criminals. They are used frequently as a stepping stone to a bigger target such as the big enterprises they conduct business with. In fact, targeted attacks on SBs now account for 30% of all targeted attacks. While still less than those targeted at enterprises, the numbers are growing and other attacks forms are increasing. For example, one in five SBs wa...

You can’t always keep track of what your children are doing online. For the most part it will be harmless fun, but there’s always the danger that they could stumble into areas they shouldn’t without realizing. Unfortunately, those areas can be the most innocent-seeming ones, such as social networking or mobile apps.
You can have the usual parent-child conversations about not chatting to strangers and not revealing too much about themselves, but sometimes the apps take matters into their own hands and give away more than they should. Check out these quick steps you can take to make socia...

Norton is dedicated to empowering you to Go Boldly, Not Blindly, in every aspect of your life. We want you to take on all the world has to offer. That’s why over the next 5 weeks, we’re celebrating the ones with tremendous goals and the ones who never stop seeking more. The ones who Boldly Go.
Here’s how it works, 3 simple steps to enter to win:
Follow the Twitter account @NortonOnline
Send a Tweet to @Norto...

Protecting your financial information is important, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. When on-the-go tools such as mobile banking apps make managing financial tasks easy, you should also take precautions to manage the risk of accessing sensitive financial information anytime, anywhere. This Credit Education Month, practice safe online habits with a few easy tips.
Taking Basic Security Precautions
Take precautions to make sure that your online financial management activities are secure. Be aware and vigilant by practicing these safe online habits:
Make sure the websites with which you...

Are you ready to tech the halls? Mobile tech like smartphones and tablets top many gift lists and wishlists this year. In fact, 74% of U.S. holiday shoppers intend to give consumer electronics as presents (source: CEA).
However while you're anticipating santa's gifts by your chimney, the holidays provide scammers with an opportune time to sweep up valuable personal data as well as lost or stolen devices. That's why Norton has captured these security tips to protect your presents.
Don't fa-la-la-la-fall for cybercriminals' tricks. Take these first steps to protect your privacy and secur...

The season for giving is here, a time for spreading cheer and presents to those near and dear. Cyber Monday has become a popular way to shop for holiday deals. With mobile devices being the choice gift of the season and a convenient way to shop too. In fact, 58 percent of U.S. consumers used smartphones and 42 percent used tablets to shop during Cyber Monday 2012 according to IBM.
Though, online shopping from unsecured devices poses the risk of cybergrinches – looking to snatch your personal information and spread scams for financial gain. Don’t let cybercriminals steal your holiday chee...

By Gerry Egan, senior director, product management, Symantec Corp.
Today, we are excited to announce the release of the latest versions of our award-winning Norton core security products, which keep consumers safe from evolving threats in their daily online lives. The latest versions improve on the industry’s leading protection and performance, and are designed for compatibility with the new features of Windows 8.1.
According to Symantec research, Web attacks increased 30 percent in 2012, driven by the easy availability of malware toolkits and the high frequency of unpatched vulnerabi...

By Alejandro Borgia, senior director, product management, Symantec Corporation
For customers looking for the best security technology for their needs, it’s critical to have access to reliable and meaningful information so they can make smart decisions to stay protected in today’s complex threat landscape. As an industry, we face a challenge in that testing security products is a highly technical and time-consuming process, and there are shortcomings in the approach of some tests that result in data that is misleading at best.
Last week, PC Magazine published an article titled “Microso...

Mobile technologies sure-to-trend in 2014 include "smart" connected devices and wearable gadgets. With 2.88 billion people reached by the #CES2014 hashtag, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, this new tech is growing in popularity in no time. Watch the best-of from Norton at CES.
Did you miss the Norton Truck interactive mobile privacy experience at CES? You can still try Norton Mobile Security for free, here: https://mobilesecurity.norton.com/
Read on for more quick tips to protect your mobile privacy:
Protect your private info: Did you know? 1-in-4 smartphone user...

Welcome to the new year! Now that the holidays are a wrap if you're like many, you may have received the gift of mobile this year. In fact, 74% of U.S. consumers intended to give consumer electronics as presents (CEA). But while new mobile trends are in fashion for 2014, mobile cybercrime threats are trending also. More than 1/3 of smartphone users have experienced mobile cybercrime (2013 Norton Report). That means, resolution number one on your list should be to security protect your shiny, new mobile devices and tablets.
Mobile Malware: How-to Protect Your Smartphone and Tablet
...

Modern day computer virus origins may surprise you- their goals were not quite the same as they are today.
Early on, viruses had varied utilities and were engineered mostly by people in computer science industries. College students created viruses for research projects in order to help further their studies and fine-tune their coding skills. In addition to research, those students would also construct code to play practical jokes on their classmates. Engineers at Xerox created a computer worm meant to search for idle processes in a computer network. A pair of programmers created a boot...

Top 5 Tips To Protect Your Identity On Campus
Back to school season is upon us, and while you are caught up in the enthusiasm of moving into your new dorms and ogling your class schedules, it is doubtful that the thought of protecting your identity is at the forefront of your mind. However, with 41% of adults having fallen victim to attacks such as malware, viruses, hacking, phishing scams, fraud and theft last year, it’s important to take practical action to keep your information safe on campus.
There are the obvious precautions to take in protecting your devices, such as never le...

There have been several high-profile data breaches impacting millions of consumers in the past year. And along with the details come the constant reminder to be vigilant. Consumer security expert Gerry Egan says awareness is key, but so is understanding what the thieves are after, so you can make it harder for them to win.
Egan answers some commonly asked questions about shopping and credit card safety:
So what is being stolen and how is it being used?
In point of sale (POS) breaches, thieves are stealing your 16-digit credit card numbers. Those numbers are most useful to thieves (and ...

Consumers often shun software with even modest price tags in favor of the next tempting giveaway. But stop and think for a second and it’s pretty obvious these free downloads can’t really cost nothing, or the skilled people who make them wouldn’t be able to earn a living. No, free rarely means free, and you should always be wary of downloading more than you expected.
Advertising
The acceptable way to monetise free software is to use advertising, and whether you’re okay with that will largely depend on how much you want that new app without paying for it. As the saying goes, “if you’re no...

Because you should be spending your time enjoying the festivities, here are a few security tips for Lunar New Year.
Wishing you a fun, safe celebration and year ahead from Norton! Will you capture irreplaceable memories this Lunar New Year? Try Norton Zone for free, a safer and easier way to share files with family and friends.

There’s a reason why Facebook is celebrating it's 10th birthday today!
Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch with friends and family, for telling people what you’re up to, and for finding out what’s happening in your part of the world. Though this does come with risks. Each time you post, “like”, share a photo or check-in somewhere, you’re providing a little more information about yourself. You’re discarding a little more of your privacy… and arguably, you’re leaving yourself at risk of identity theft.
To help you on your way, here are our top 5 tips to help you enjoy y...

As a tourist in a foreign city, especially a chilly one hosting hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world this weekend, it’s probably wise for you to learn a few key phrases to protect yourself, like:
Спасите! (Spasite!) “Help!” Пожар! (Požar!) “Fire!” Стой! (Stoj!) “Stop!”
…but, what if you need to protect your mobile device or laptop? These phrases are pretty ineffective against cyber crimes. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team reports that possible targeted attacks could appear in the form of spam, phishing scams, fake websites, or drive-by download campaigns, an...

GPS devices have made driving so much simpler in recent years, and it’s hard to find a driver today who does not use one for long journeys. But what are the downsides to being constantly connected when driving? While you’re getting vital information to help you reach your destination, what vital information of yours is flowing the other way?
One big car maker was recently forced to deny that it collects and shares personal data on drivers and their habits through their GPS devices, but we’ve seen time and time again that all that gatherable information can prove too tempting for a company...

Social media accounts are powerful tools in the wrong hands. We’ve recently seen hackers take over the Twitter accounts of media outlets and large corporations, using them for anything from basic spam to drawing attention to global issues. Your own accounts might seem too small to tempt scammers, but even with just a few followers your information is a valuable commodity. Read on for tips to stay safe on social networks.
Use unique passwords for each social network
It’s a pain, but it is also absolutely essential that you don’t use the same password for Twitter as you do for, say, Facebo...

The clock is ticking down on Windows XP. Microsoft will end technical assistance for the 12-year-old operating system on April 8 and effectively stop delivering automatic updates and security patches to Windows XP users. Although many consumers, small businesses and even large enterprises have already transitioned to newer and more secure systems, an estimated 30 million desktop operating systems still run on Windows XP today and could be left vulnerable after April 8.
At Symantec, we firmly believe running up-to-date security products is a critical step in protecting your personal infor...

The world of business has to move with the times, and right now that means it makes a lot of sense to allow staff to use whatever devices they have for work. BYOD – bring your own device – is here to stay, and if implemented properly can be a real boon to the productivity and happiness of your employees. They get to use a device they’re comfortable with, and you get to slash your hardware deployment costs.
But BYOD brings with it new risks to the security of sensitive company data, with employees taking their main work systems out of the office with them at the end of the day. Rather than ...

The rise of the smartphone has brought countless technological benefits that make our daily lives easier in so many ways, and one of the biggest has been the freedom of mobile banking. Gone are the days of waiting in a busy branch on a Saturday afternoon to transfer money into your savings account, or calling an automated number to check your balance.
But having your bank accounts within such close reach does bring its dangers, and it shouldn’t simply be assumed that logging in and doing your banking can now be done at any time and in any place. Here are five quick tips to keeping your mon...

After April 8, Microsoft will no longer release updates designed to fix bugs that cybercriminals use to gain access to the operating system (OS). Any newly discovered vulnerabilities in the operating system will effectively become an open invitation to an attacker to gain control of a computer running Windows XP. Symantec strongly recommends that Windows XP customers upgrade to a current OS as soon as possible, but will continue to support Windows XP SP3 systems for the foreseeable future.
SavvyMediaGal recently posted a Norton Protection Blog entry titled, “How will the end of Microsoft ...

Unlike April Fools, which only happens once a year, scammers make a living off of fooling users 365 days a year. Here are a number of tricks that scammers use.
Phishing Scams: Whether it’s pretending to be your financial institution or a tweet from someone you know, asking, “Is this photo of you?”, phishing scams are after your login credentials to sites that are important to you. Recently, users of Google Drive and Google Docs were targeted in a sophisticated phishing scam. Phishing remains one of the most common scams used because they work, and as these scams become more innovative, th...

March 31 marks World Backup Day! What is backup? It's a second copy of all your most important files like financial documents, family photos, videos and more. While it's best to backup your files regularly now is as good a time as ever. Here are a few more tips for digital spring cleaning! Read on.
Five easy ways to get started on digital spring cleaning:
Be sure your software is up to date. Ignoring the latest software updates could put you at risk. Companies announce security vulnerabilities as they are discovered and quickly work to fix the vulnerabilities with software updates,...

Malware apps
With copycat apps growing on official app stores, it’s harder than ever to know whether an app you’re downloading is genuine. Outside of the big, trusted names, how do you know if an unknown developer with few reviews is really making useful apps, or simply building vehicles for getting malware onto your smartphone? To add an extra layer of reassurance when browsing for new apps, download Norton Mobile Security and use it to scan new apps before you run them – you might be surprised what you find out.
Social media spam
If you’re on Twitter you’ll know how annoying it is to b...

What is Heartbleed? Symantec is continuing to track this OpenSSL bug discovered recently and its implications for consumers. Symantec has created a site devoted to Heartbleed for further information. Watch to learn more:
"Heartbleed" a name that security researchers have given to a serious bug found in a very common piece of software used by many websites. The software in question is called OpenSSL and is used to encrypt the information that you send to and from websites, such as your login name and password or other sensitive information. You can usually recognize when websites encrypt...

They’re both selling by the millions, with no sign of slowing down, but there are big differences between the iOS and Android mobile platforms – not least in the array of security threats they face, and the ways in which they attempt to mitigate them. You’re never totally secure when using a mobile device on either platform, but should the security conscious be choosing one over the other?
The Threat Level
If we’re talking purely about the level of threat that exists on the two platforms, it would seem iPhone and iPad users have the better side of the deal. Studies have found that a fa...

By Satnam Narang, Symantec Security Response expert.
No matter where you went this week, you likely heard about something called Heartbleed. If you happened to be living under a rock (some might say you were better off there), you may not have heard that there was a major vulnerability discovered in OpenSSL, the open source implementation of the protocols used to secure communication over the Internet. The reason it received a lot of attention is because a half a million trusted websites were vulnerable at the time this news first came to light. Does this mean the Internet is broken or is...

According to the 2014 Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, which examines the data from more than 41.5 million attack sensors and records thousands of events per second, spear phishing is not dead – it’s merely evolving. The technique uses fake emails to target a specific organisation in order to gain access to internal data, and although attackers used fewer emails on fewer targets last year, the total number of spear-fishing campaigns was up a startling 91%.
More user awareness and better security means attackers are simply choosing their targets more carefully and sharpening their ...

Norton users* can breathe more easily knowing that they are backed by Norton by Symantec’s gold standard of security in light of a security advisory about a new zero-day bug affecting Microsoft Internet Explorer. Other vendors are using the name “Operation Clandestine Fox” to identify targeted attacks using this bug in the wild. Users of all versions of Internet Explorer are vulnerable, but, so far, this bug is not being used in widespread attacks.
Microsoft will be issuing a patch for supported operating systems, but Windows XP users will need to find another way to stay secure, as ...

How safe was your family online in the last year? According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report 2014, they weren’t as safe as you might think. The study analyses threat data from over 157 countries, more than 41.5 million attack sensors and a database of over 60,000 vulnerabilities, making it the most comprehensive picture of internet security in the world – and it says mobile users are falling for more “too good to be true” scams than ever.
Bad behavior
An incredible 38% of mobile users have experienced cybercrime, and it’s often down to their own behaviour. More than half of...

Some media outlets are sounding the alarm about the recently discovered Covert Redirect flaw in OAuth and OpenID being “the next Heartbleed.” Symantec experts have assured people that it’s not.
What is this Covert Redirect flaw? The vulnerability exploits web and mobile applications that allow users to login via OAuth (an application that lets 3rd parties access account details from other websites, such as social media sites). It allows attackers to disguise a fake login popup, using the affected website’s real domain. These attackers can collect login information from users if they autho...

Information security is more important than ever when it comes to safeguarding small business. According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report a noteworthy 30% of all spear-phishing attacks were aimed at small businesses in 2013, while one in five small businesses received at least one targeted spear-phishing email. In 2014, we identified a few technology trends that will have a direct impact on small businesses and the way they protect business critical information.
All eyes will be on protecting Privacy
From scary headline news to a much-needed wake-up call, consumers and sma...

Are you doing enough to keep your information safe? With today’s sophisticated cyber threats you need more than just traditional antivirus (AV) software to stay protected. AV software can prevent, detect and remove malicious computer programs, and while more traditional viruses and email spam still exist, people now have more complex threats to worry about – and more important information to protect.
You need to guard your devices from not only viruses and worms, but web threats, spam and phishing. Cybercriminals can also use drive-by methods for stealing information and concealment malw...

There’s no doubt that technology has made many areas of our lives simpler. We can now access files from any device, anywhere, and we can take full advantage of fast internet speeds to do things that weren’t possible just a few years ago. But as we use more technology, that simplicity can be eroded as our devices demand monthly, weekly, even daily updates. Our software applications add new features we didn’t ask for but have to learn and our documents move from one hard disk to multiple locations around the cloud, each with their own logins and capacity limits.
Technology can greatly impro...

Mobile apps have transformed the way we interact with our smartphones and tablets. If you’re looking for a quick way to access your bank accounts, a tool to make you more productive while on the move, or a game to help pass the time while you’re waiting for a bus, there’s an app for that.
In fact, with over 1 million apps on Google Play, for instance, there are often thousands of options to choose from in each app category. The fact that many can be downloaded in a matter of seconds means that you’re only ever moments away from installing a tool that could bring innovative new functionali...

We all know that the Internet can house all kinds of cyber scams and exploits, but did you know that certain kinds of websites are statistically more likely to host malware than others? You might think avoiding the obviously dodgy corners of the Internet is enough, but in fact approximately 67 percent of websites used to distribute malware are legitimate but compromised sites. You could be visiting them every day.
Software is constantly changing, and it takes time and resources to keep a website running on the latest, fully patched software. According to Symantec’s security expert, Kevin ...

We’re always hearing about the connected future, an “Internet of Things” (IoT) where our smartphones and tablets are joined online by ever more devices: cameras, TVs, microwaves and fridges, even baby monitors. It sounds great, but every one of those internet-connected devices is another security concern, as Symantec’s 2014 Internet Security Threat Report demonstrates only too clearly.
As the report states, last year saw high-profile hacks of baby monitors, security cameras and even home routers by cybercriminals. Meanwhile, security researchers dug around in the software of other devices...

Claire Dean, Sr. Director of Global Marketing for Norton Zone, took a moment to address customer questions and concerns regarding the recent decision to remove Norton Zone from Norton's product line-up. Last week we announced the discontinuation of one of our cloud services called Norton Zone. I’ve been working on the Zone project for my entire four years at Symantec and when I told my friends that we made the decision to discontinue it, many had the same reaction: What? Norton is getting out of the cloud?
My answer? Absolutely not.
Zone is only one cloud service, among many, that Syman...

Summer’s finally here, so whether you intend to take a picnic to the park, play with the children in the garden or jet off to somewhere even sunnier, some simple precautions will keep you and your devices safe this summer.
Watch your devices
First up, physical security. With more outdoor activity it’s natural that it won’t only be your smartphone that travels with you. Parks these days are full of tablets and even lightweight laptops, to go with the many Kindles and Bluetooth speakers, so it pays to be aware of just how valuable your possessions are. Don’t leave them lying in plain sight...

Today's social media is a crucial tool for business, Companies that use Twitter, Facebook and other tools in an organised and efficient manner can achieve incredible engagement for relatively little cost, and (with a healthy dose of good fortune) a strong social media campaign can take off around the world and do more for brand recognition than traditional advertising. The key is finding the right balance between informal spontaneity and well-planned company output, and it’s a balance a huge number of businesses are finding hard to get right.
Engaging with customers and listening to cons...

The last few years have been all about BYOD – or bring your own device – an IT revolution that freed employees from the shackles of dated or unsuitable hardware in favor of, well, whatever they wanted to use. The benefits are obvious: most employees have their own computers at home and know how to use them, so they can spend more time getting down to business and less time trying to work out why this application doesn’t have that feature.
But there are big drawbacks to BYOD as well, and most of them concern security. First there’s the fact that company data is leaving the premises every e...

Fans around the globe have all eyes on epic soccer matchups cheering for wins and grimacing at errors. One error off the field has also been receiving attention – the World Cup Security Center’s Wi-Fi password reveal. While Symantec has already identified several scams surrounding this international football event targeting consumers on social networks, the incident serves as a reminder that not only awareness of risks and scams online but also proactive security habits are key to protecting your information from hacking or data theft.
Follow these secure Wi-Fi ha...

Symantec security expert, Candid Wueest, investigates the security implications of Amazon's new Fire Phone. For the original article, and to catch the latest security intelligence information, check out Symantec's Security Response blog: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/will-amazon-s-fire-phone-burn-users
Everyone has heard stories about smartphones with malfunctioning battery packs bursting into flames, but the new Amazon Fire Phone, despite its name, could pose a different kind of danger. Amazon’s recently announced device is due to be released in July and may present some pote...